Lower Middle Level Research Articles

Study on stability evaluation of goaf based on AHP and EWM—taking the northern new district of Liaoyuan city as an example

Throughout the history of coal mining in all countries of the world, large areas of goaf have been left behind, and sudden collapses and surface subsidence of large areas of goaf may occur, especially for mining areas with long mining cycles. The northern new district of the Liaoyuan mining area has been subjected to nearly half a century of mining activities, accompanied by a gradual accumulation of disasters, which have occurred frequently in recent years. In order to assess the stability of the goaf in the study area, this paper proposes a hybrid decision-making multi-factor integrated evaluation method. The distribution of underground goafs was determined using geophysical exploration techniques (seismic survey and transient electromagnetic method) and geological drilling exploration. First, an evaluation index system was established based on the specifications of the goaf, the ecological and geological environment, and the mining conditions; the system included 14 indicators. Two weight calculation methods, AHP-EWM, were employed to determine the comprehensive weight of each indicator by combining subjective and objective weights on the basis of improved game theory. Subsequently, the fuzzy comprehensive evaluation method was utilised to complete the stability rating of each block in the study area, and MapGIS and ArcGIS were employed to complete the drawing of the stability zoning map of the northern new district goaf. The study area was divided into three zones of stability, basic stability and instability, according to the critical value. These zones accounted for 23.03%, 36.45% and 40.52% of the total area of the study area, respectively. The comprehensive on-site investigation revealed a decrease in the size and number of collapse pits and the rate of damage to the houses from the unstable zone to the stable zone. This indicates that the results of the division are consistent with the actual situation. The classification results are consistent with the actual ground disaster situation, thus verifying the rationality and validity of the evaluation method. The results indicate that the stability of the study area is generally at the lower middle level.

Geriatric nursing competence of clinical nursing staff at different hospital levels in Chongqing, China: A cross-sectional study

ObjectivesThis study aimed to survey the geriatric nursing competencies of clinical nursing staff in Chongqing City, China, and provide suggestions to enhance these competencies. MethodsThis study was conducted in 204 hospitals in Southwest China from December 24, 2022 to January 7, 2023. The “Geriatric Nursing Competence of Clinical Nurse Investigation Tool” was used to explore factors that influence geriatric nurses’ competencies via stratified sampling. The survey was conducted by distributing and collecting questionnaires through the online platform Wenjuanxing. ResultsA total of 10,692 nurses answered the questionnaires. Of these questionnaires, 9,442 were valid. The total geriatric nursing competence score of the clinical nursing staff was 2.29 ± 0.81, the secondary hospital score was 2.23 ± 0.78, and the tertiary hospital’s overall mean score was 2.33 ± 0.83. The factors that influenced secondary hospitals included the department of medicine, age of nurses and total length of career (P < 0.05). The factors that influenced tertiary hospitals included the department of medicine, age of nurses, nurses’ professional title, and geriatric practical advanced nurses’ certification (P < 0.05). ConclusionsGeriatric nursing competence among clinical nursing staff is imbalanced at a lower-middle level and is influenced by various factors. The findings highlight the need for further clinical training in geriatric nursing. The training of geriatric nurses should focus on necessary clinical skills and on preparing them to adequately manage comprehensive geriatric syndromes.

Profil Penjelasan Ilmiah Siswa SMA pada Materi Sistem Peredaran Darah Manusia

This study aims to determine the profile of scientific explanation ability of high school students, especially on the material of the human circulatory system. The type of research used is quantitative research with survey methods shared through google forms. The subjects of the study were high school students who had received human circulation system material in one of several schools in Central Java, the research sample was selected through random sampling techniques from the population. The research instrument used was adapted from McNeill, Lizotte, Krajcik, and Marx (2016) which consisted of 9 long answer questions to be able to determine the success of aspects of claim, evidence, and reasoning in scientific explanation. The instrument has been declared valid and reliable through Rasch Model testing. The research data is in the form of scores from student answers which are then processed through the Rasch Model to determine the level of difficulty and wright map person (students) to find out the profile of each student's scientific explanation ability. The results showed that 78% of students were still at the lower middle level in compiling the three aspects of scientific explanation, and only 12% of students were able to achieve maximum scores in the preparation of claims, evidence, and reasoning.

Evaluation of Soil Quality of Pingliang City Based on Fuzzy Mathematics and Cluster Analysis

Pingliang City has a complex topography and diverse soil types. To realize the improvement of soil according to local conditions and the reasonable and sustainable use of soil resources, an evaluation of soil quality in Pingliang City was carried out, based on the soil distribution situation in Pingliang City, adopting a method combining fuzzy mathematics and cluster analysis of the main evaluation factors, such as soil organic matter, topsoil depth, soil erosion intensity, soil moisture regime, effective soil thickness, soil texture, soil profile structure, soil nutrient status and topographical parts, to carry out a comprehensive evaluation. A comprehensive evaluation of soil quality was conducted in seven counties under the jurisdiction of Pingliang City, and the evaluation results were compared and analyzed against the national standard, “Cultivated land quality grade”, to provide a basis for the selection of scientific soil improvement methods. The results of the arable land quality grades indicate that the quality of farmland in Pingliang City is divided into three to ten grades, and the average quality grade of farmland is 6.83, which is in the middle–lower level, and the overall grade distribution shows the characteristics of low in the middle and high in the east and west. The results of fuzzy mathematics combined with cluster analysis indicated the following trends in soil quality for the 12 soil genera: Chuan black gunny soil &gt; yellow moist soil &gt; sandy soil &gt; silt soil &gt; mulching helilu soil&gt; loessal soil&gt; loamy soil &gt; slope loessal soil &gt; arenosol &gt; tillage leaching gray cinnamon soil &gt; calcareous gray cinnamon soil &gt; red clay soil. The results of the combination of fuzzy mathematics and clustering were significantly correlated with the results of the evaluation of the soil quality of arable land; the correlation coefficient was 0.884. This indicates that the method can accurately and objectively review the advantages and disadvantages of arable land soil and can be effectively applied to the evaluation of the soil quality of agricultural soils in other regions. It is a complement to the existing evaluation of the soil quality of arable land and at the same time provides a reference for the improvement of soil quality in agricultural regions.

Evaluation and Regional Differences of Urban Green Development in Henan Province

As an extension of ecological concepts, urban green development has gradually become a new bridge for various countries or regions to achieve sustainable development. Based on the panel data of 17 cities in Henan Province, China from 2007 to 2022, this article uses the entropy method to measure the green development level of cities in Henan Province, and uses the Dagum Gini coefficient method to analyze the green development differences between cities. The results show that: first, urban green development in Henan Province is generally at a lower-middle level and tends to be balanced. Second, there are obvious regional gaps in urban green development in Henan Province. Third, inter-regional disparity is the main reason for the differential distribution of urban green development levels in Henan Province. In order to promote the improvement of urban green level and narrow the spatial development gap in Henan Province, this study puts forward corresponding policy suggestions from the aspects of green investment, green technology innovation, industrial structure upgrading and green life. This also provides reference for other less developed regions in China to achieve balanced urban green development.

Recycling potential and development strategies of high-tech metals for low-carbon energy technologies

Low-carbon technology has become the focus of addressing global climate challenges but is facing the supply restriction of critical high-tech metals. Recycling has become a powerful measure to solve this issue. In the paper, a comprehensive recycling potential index (RPI) is constructed to evaluate the recycling potential of high-tech metals for low-carbon energy technologies in China from 2020 to 2050, and development strategies are proposed based on the evaluation results. The results indicate that the future trends of recycling potential show four evolution modes – either reaching or rapidly rising to a high level, increasing to the middle and middle-high level, unsteadily staying at the low and middle-low level, or remaining at a low and continuously decreasing level. According to the evolution trend, different strategies, including key development, reserves, digestion, and transfer, should be adopted in different stages. Co, Li, Dy, Nd, Tb, and Eu should be the focus of technology, funds and policy from both the government and enterprises due to their high recycling potential in the long term. Moreover, measures should be taken to encourage recycling and mitigate the supply risk of high-tech metals for low-carbon energy technologies, including tracking the development of low-carbon energy technologies, adjusting the list of critical high-tech metals, promoting recycling technology, and exploring substitute resources.

The Levels and Associated Factors for Participation and Autonomy Among People with Parkinson´s Disease: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Promoting participation and autonomy (PA) in society has been highlighted as an ultimate goal of rehabilitation for people with chronic diseases by the World Health Organization, but few studies have focused on PA in people with Parkinson's disease (PD). Therefore, this study aimed to determine the level of PA in PD patients and investigate the associated psychological and behavioural factors. PD patients were recruited from the Department of Neurology of the First Hospital Affiliated with Dalian Medical University using convenience sampling for this cross-sectional study. A questionnaire covering social-demographic and disease-related characteristics, Chinese version of Impact on Participation and Autonomy (IPA) Questionnaire, Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale (CD-RISC), Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS), Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS), Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire (MCMQ), Social Support Rating Scale (SSRS), Hoehn-Yahr Staging System and Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) were used for investigation. A multivariate stepwise linear regression analysis was used to determine the factors that influence IPA. A total of 326 PD patients responded to all the questionnaires. The patients had a mean IPA score of 46.6 (SD 21.79). Multiple linear regression analyses revealed that UPDRS II (β = 0.35, p < 0.001) had the strongest correlation with IPA, followed by tenacity, which was the second strongest factor (β = -0.25, p < 0.001). Hoehn-Yahr stage (β = 0.19, p < 0.001) and availability of social support (β =-0.12, p =0.001) were also strong factors. The average level of PA among PD patients was at the lower middle-level. Among PD patients, physical function, psychological resilience and social support were the strongest factors associated with PA. These findings provide valuable insights into PD patients' PA and can help medical professionals identify the early risks of restricted PA among PD patients, implement interventions to promote PA and ultimately achieve rehabilitation.

Research on the Construction and Application Effect of Autonomous Learning Model in the Teaching of Tourism English Majors in Colleges and Universities

Abstract Autonomous learning is a hot issue in current research in learning. The article firstly constructs an autonomous learning model based on dynamic fuzzy logic (DFL) theory and describes the independent behavior rules in detail. Further, a learning algorithm for the independent learning subspace is proposed. To verify the effectiveness of the DFL-based autonomic learning model, the authors selected college students majoring in English for Tourism as experimental subjects, divided the students into experimental and control groups, and compared their test results before and after the autonomic learning teaching experiment. The study results show that in the six-month experiment, the experimental group significantly improved in three aspects: study time, independent learning ability, and learning achievement. Specifically, upper-middle and middle-level students excelled in independent learning ability. In contrast, students at the lower-middle level showed significant improvement in terms of study time and academic performance, and these differences reached the level of extreme significance (p&lt;0.01). In addition, in terms of the level of learning autonomy, the experimental group has higher indicators of learning autonomy level than the control group in all six dimensions, especially in the dimension of learning environment, the difference between the experimental group and the control group is as high as 52.53%. The study proves the effectiveness of the autonomy learning model based on dynamic fuzzy logic in enhancing students’ autonomy learning ability, especially in promoting the learning development of students at different levels showing significant advantages.

Recycling Pricing and Government Subsidy Strategy for End-of-Life Vehicles in a Reverse Supply Chain under Consumer Recycling Channel Preferences

In the existing recycling system for end-of-life vehicles (ELVs), online recycling based on the Internet platform is a useful supplement. In this paper, a Stackelberg game pricing model, which is dominated by ELV part remanufacturers and composed of remanufacturers, recyclers, and consumers, is constructed considering consumer preferences for recycling channels. The influence of different subsidy strategies on the optimal pricing, profit, and recycling volume of the reverse supply chain (RSC) of ELVs is discussed, and the effects of factors such as subsidy amount and consumer preferences on the RSC of ELVs are analyzed using numerical simulation. The results show that the increase in consumers’ online recycling preferences has a positive effect on the recycling volume and profit of the RSC of ELVs. Considering the recycling volume of the RSC, when fewer subsidies are given, more recycling volume can be generated by subsidizing remanufacturers, and, on the contrary, recycling volume will be generated by subsidizing consumers. Considering the profit of the RSC, when subsidies are given at the lower-middle level, higher profits can be earned by subsidizing remanufacturers, and, on the contrary, higher profits can be earned by subsidizing consumers.

Analysis Of The Causes Of The Scarcity Of 3 Kg LPG Gas Among The People Of Bengkalis Regency

National security includes needs that are often used in daily life, especially in household matters which cannot be separated from kitchen needs such as 3 kg LPG gas which is widely used by people whose economic levels are at the lower middle level. However, transportation needs cannot be separated from the availability of fuel supplies used as fuel, but what is currently happening is that there is a scarcity of gas and subsidized fuel in the Bengkalis Regency area. Therefore, this research was conducted to find out the causes of this shortage, so that people's needs can be met properly. This research uses a research method with the type of library research, by examining various data and information which will then be analyzed, so that results are obtained which show that the cause of this shortage is not due to supply, but rather access to crossings for vehicles transporting fuel and kg LPG gas. , this is characterized by an increase in queues which continues to increase significantly. This results in all access being delayed for transport vehicles, as well as public transportation users, because vehicles entering and exiting Bengkalis Island to outside the area can only be accessed from the White Water Roro and Selari River crossing ports.

Association of Financial Toxicity and Health-Related Quality of Life in Long-Term Survivors of Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia Treated within a Universal Healthcare System

Background Financial toxicity (FT) indicates the harmful consequences of cancer-related costs on patients' clinical outcomes and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Although literature on this subject in patients with solid tumors is growing, little is known on patients with hematologic malignancies treated within a universal healthcare system. For example, despite being cured of their disease, long-term survivors of acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) may still report health status problems which may be associated with financial constraints. Aims Our primary objective was to investigate the prevalence of clinically important problems and symptoms in survivors of APL with or without FT treated within a universal healthcare system. A secondary objective was to examine potential risk factors associated with FT. Methods We did a cross-sectional analysis of two multicenter studies conducted by the GIMEMA Group that enrolled long-term survivors of APL treated with either standard chemotherapy or arsenic trioxide (ATO). FT was evaluated using the financial difficulties item of the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire. Patients treated in Italian centers were selected and classified as experiencing or not FT based on evidence-based thresholds for defining clinically important problems and symptoms of the QLQ-C30, established to help to improve the interpretation of this questionnaire in clinical practice. Using the same criteria, we assessed the prevalence of clinically important problems and symptoms at the patient level, in the groups of survivors of APL with or without FT. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was performed to examine potential risk factors associated with FT. The following covariates were considered: sex (female vs male), age at study entry, time since diagnosis, living arrangements (living alone vs living with others), receiving a salary/pension (no vs yes), level of education (high education level vs middle-low level), comorbidities (≥1 vs 0), and type of treatment received (chemotherapy vs ATO). All statistical tests were two-sided with a nominal α=0.05, and there was no adjustment for multiple testing due to the exploratory nature of the study. Results Overall, 365 survivors of APL were analyzed and 23.8% of them reported FT. Most patients (n=304, 83.3%) were treated with chemotherapy and 61 (16.7%) with ATO. Median age at study entry was 53.5 years (IQR: 43.9 - 63.0) and median time since diagnosis was 10.9 years (IQR: 7.9 - 15.7). More than half of survivors of APL were female (n=192; 52.6%), and 68 (18.9%) were living alone. The following characteristics were well-balanced between patients with and without FT: treatment, age, time since diagnosis, living arrangements, and sex. Some one-third of survivors (n=113, 31.4%) was not receiving a salary/pension, and this prevalence was higher among survivors with FT than those without FT (41.9% vs 28.1%). Prevalence of comorbidities was also higher among survivors with FT versus those without FT (87.4% vs 74.5%). The prevalence of clinically important problems and symptoms was statistically significant higher for survivors of APL who reported FT across all scales of the QLQ-C30, except for appetite loss and constipation (Figure 1). For example, with regard to the functioning scales the prevalence of clinically important emotional functioning problems was 50.6% and 19.8% in the group of survivors with and without FT, respectively. The prevalence of clinically important cognitive functioning problems was 41.4% for survivors with FT vs 16.9% in those without FT. The trend for symptom burden was similar, for example the prevalence of clinically important dyspnea was 51.7% and 25.3% in the group of survivors with and without FT, respectively. In the multivariable analysis, the presence of FT was independently associated with having at least one comorbidity (OR 2.44; p = .012), and not receiving a salary/pension (OR 1.90; p = .014). Conclusions Despite being treated within a universal healthcare system and being cured of their disease, some one-fourth of survivors of APL experience FT and these patients report a higher prevalence of clinically important problems and symptoms compared to those without FT. Considering the expected growing population of survivors, owing to the remarkable APL treatment advances, efforts to mitigate FT may be critical to improve long-term HRQoL outcomes.

Assessment of Student Numeration Literacy Levels Based on the 2021 National Assessment Data Study

The Indonesian government regulates a national assessment to measure students' numeracy literacy skills as a reference in planning education policies. One of the latest national assessment data is the 2021 National Assessment Data. This data provides an overview of the numeracy literacy level of students in Indonesia and identifies challenges faced and opportunities for improvement and further development. The research that has been carried out aims to determine the numeracy literacy level of students based on education level: Elementary School (SD/MI), Junior High School (SMP/MTs), Senior High School (SMA/MA), Vocational High School (SMK/MAK) and provinces based on the 2021 National Assessment (AN). They are using a quantitative approach—data based on AN 2021 data, which has become publicly available and endorsed for research development purposes. The population is all schools in Indonesia. The sample is a school whose students (grade 5 SD/MI, grade 8 SMP/MTs, and grade 11 SMA/MA and SMK/MAK) are randomized to participate in the national assessment (AN). The data is a questionnaire answered by students in 34 provinces, 255649 students. Results: The highest and lowest average scores for numeracy competency levels were SMA (1.71), SMK (1.69), SMP (1.66), and SD (0.19). At the provincial level, the highest was DKI Jakarta (1.77), and the lowest was North Maluku (1.46). The study concludes that the average numeracy scores of students, both at the education level and at the provincial level, are still at the lower middle level.

Prognostic Value of Antithrombin Activity Levels in the Early Phase of Intensive Care: A 2-Center Retrospective Cohort Study

To investigate the relationship between antithrombin (AT) activity level and prognosis in patients requiring intensive care. Patients whose AT activity was measured within 24 h of intensive care unit (ICU) admission were enrolled for analysis. The primary endpoint was mortality at discharge. Prognostic accuracy was examined using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves and cox hazard regression analysis. Patients were divided into 6 groups based on predicted mortality, and a χ2 independence test was performed on the prognostic value of AT activity for each predicted mortality; P &lt; .05 was considered significant. A total of 281 cases were analyzed. AT activity was associated with mortality at discharge (AT% [interquartile range, IQR]): survivor group, 69 (56-86) versus nonsurvivor group, 56 (44-73), P = .0003). We found an increasing risk for mortality in both the lowest level of AT activity (&lt;50%; hazard ratio [HR] 2.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.20-4.89, P = .01) and the middle-low level of AT activity (≥ 50% and &lt; 70%; HR 2.06, 95% CI 1.06-4.02, P = .03), compared with the normal AT activity level (≥ 70%). ROC curve analysis showed that the prediction accuracy of AT was an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.66 (cutoff 58%, sensitivity 61.4%, specificity 68.2%, P = .0003). AT activity was significantly prognostic in the group with 20% to 50% predicted mortality (AUC 0.74, sensitivity: 24.0%-55.5%, specificity: 83.3%-93.0%). An early decrease in AT activity level in ICU patients may be a predictor of mortality at discharge.

Efficiency Measurement of Urban and Rural Logistics Supply Chain System Based on Fuzzy Algorithm.

At this stage, China's logistics industry is developing rapidly and has become one of the important areas of China's economic development. However, there are few techniques for measuring the efficiency of logistics supply chain systems. In order to be able to effectively analyze the efficiency measurement of the urban and rural logistics supply chain system and obtain higher accuracy, using a method derived from analysis of data envelopes, this essay examines the impact elements by establishing a data envelopment analysis model, using compound DEA analysis method and linear regression analysis method. The composite DEA analysis shows that all indicators in the indicator system are positively correlated, and the amount of people working in the field of distribution has the greatest impact on logistics efficiency. The annual average of pure technical efficiency is 0.932, and the annual average of scale efficiency is 0.910. In the eastern region, it is a lower-middle level. The empirical results of changes in the efficiency of the urban and rural logistics industry show that there is a significant positive correlation. This paper also builds a fuzzy algorithm optimization model and designs an overall fuzzy algorithm to solve the LRPPD problem. The simulation results show that the algorithm has good optimization performance, high computational efficiency, and strong convergence speed.

Research Help-Seeking in Residents of Ophthalmology in Mashhad University of Medical Sciences: A Cross-Sectional Study

Background and Objectives. Considering the undeniable role of the help-seeking strategy in learning research skills, this study aimed to examine the situation of research help-seeking among ophthalmology residents of Mashhad University of Medical Sciences (MUMS), Mashhad, Iran. Materials and Methods. This descriptive cross-sectional study was performed on all ophthalmology residents of MUMS (n = 46). A validated research help-seeking scale was used to collect the required data. The scale consisted of 29 items and assessed the three dimensions of avoidance of help-seeking, adaptive help-seeking, and perceived benefit of help-seeking. The answers were scored based on a six-point Likert scale. Results. In total, 41 residents who responded to the electronic version of the research help-seeking scale were selected through convenience sampling. In the axes of help-seeking avoidance and perceived benefit of help-seeking, indexes were in the upper-middle level, while in the adaptive help-seeking axis, it was in the lower-middle level. Based on the results, gender and academic year of residency had no effect on research help-seeking aspects in the participants. However, age had a positive and significant correlation with the perceived benefit of help-seeking. Conclusion. Research help-seeking in residents of ophthalmology of MUMS in all three axes was around the middle level, and it is recommended that university officials and professors encourage residents use adaptive help-seeking strategy during their residency to improve their research skills.

Re-thinking the Lower-middle Level of Administration in Hungary with Particular Reference to the Web 3.0. Era

This paper will evaluate the current situation and role of the Hungarian (administrative) lower-middle level and make projections about its future. Centralisation efforts since 2010 have had a non-negligible impact on the administrative and non-administrative (common institution maintenance, micro-regional development policy) tasks assigned to the lower-middle level. However, it may be argued that the transition to the Web 3.0 era – the era of the most advanced, most intelligent and customised web technologies – may put such centralisation efforts into a new context. Revitalisation of formations similar to the multi-functional micro-regional associations of local self-governments which largely disappeared after 1 January 2013 may be justifiable in the forthcoming period in order to promote local synergies. If this is correct, a rethink of the public administration system at the lower-middle level may become a very important task for the public administration as along with regional discourse.

Theoretical Basis and Level Evaluation of Tobacco Planting and Green Agriculture: a Case Study in Henan Province, China

Objectives: As an important and traditional cash crop, tobacco plays an important role in promoting economic development. With the attention of the government, scholars and people from all walks of life to environmental protection, modern agriculture needs to be transformed. Under the current multiple pressures of resources, market, economy and other factors, how to find a high-efficiency, product safety, resource saving, environment-friendly agricultural modernization road is very important for the development of modern agriculture. Of course, tobacco planting is no exception. In view of this, this paper took China’ s Henan Province as an example to study its agricultural green development level and influenced factors from two angles at home and abroad. The results were showed as follows. Firstly, the green development of agriculture in Henan Province was still at the lower middle level in China. Secondly, there were some problems in the green development of agriculture in China’ s Henan Province. Finally, the green development of agriculture in Henan Province needs to promote the construction of laws and regulations and supervision system, increase the investment in agricultural human capital, accelerate the innovation of agricultural green science and technology, optimize industrial development and strengthen infrastructure construction according to local conditions. Further, based on the development experience of green agriculture, on the one hand, it can provide a good green agricultural production environment for the development of tobacco industry. On the other hand, it is conducive to inspire and promote the transformation and development of all links of tobacco planting, threshing and redrying, cigarette manufacturing, monopoly circulation and retail circulation, highlighting the characteristics of greening, technology, economy, health and safety.

Coupling between energy efficiency and industrial structure: An urban agglomeration case

Understanding the interactions between energy efficiency and industrial structure is conducive to sustainable urban development. The coupling mechanism in between remains to be unraveled in depth for forming a positive cycle. With the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) urban agglomeration as the empirical target, first the total-factor energy efficiency (TFEE) of the 26 cities of the YRD urban agglomeration during 2010–2017 is estimated by slacks-based measure model. The redefined Theil index, industrial advancement index and Lorentz curve statistics are then adopted to quantify industrial reasonability, industrial advancement and industrial concentration of cities. Finally, a coupling coordination degree model is employed to measure the comprehensive coupling level between energy efficiency and industrial structure. The results indicate that the TFEE of cities has great differences. Observed overall, the industrial reasonability and industrial advancement of cities reach a high level, while the industrial concentration is at a middle-lower level. In 2017, the comprehensive coupling of all cities is at high coordination running-in level and above. The results are expected to offer decision-making support on energy efficiency improvement and industrial restructuring for the YRD region, as well as other urban agglomerations in similar conditions.

A statistical forecast scheme of precipitation in the Upper Bermejo River Basin in Argentina

ABSTRACT The Bermejo River, located in northern Argentina, has a flow regime controlled by precipitation. In an area characterized by its risk of flooding and land-sliding during the summer, seasonal precipitation forecast becomes a valuable tool for risk assessment and better management of hydric resources. This study focuses on identifying remote forcings of precipitation variability for the upper sub-basin of the Bermejo River Basin, and developing multiple linear regression models of areal spring precipitation (September to November), the beginning of the rainy season, considering predictors monitored on the preceding August. Positive rainfall anomalies in spring relate to higher monthly and maximum daily streamflow in the upper and lower sub-basins. Two forecast models arose as the ones with best performance when using leave-one-out-cross-validation. Predictors involved in these models (four and three predictors, respectively) emphasize the influence of the circulation in middle-low levels over the Pacific Ocean, as well as of the sea surface temperature in the El Niño region and the low-level meridional wind in tropical South America. The two models share similar performance metrics, although the model with less predictors has a better skill for the detection of normal and above-normal rainfall seasons.

NEXUS BETWEEN PERFORMANCE MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EMPOWERMENT IN THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY

Purpose of the study: The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of interactive performance measurement systems on the employees’ psychological empowerment in the pharmaceutical industry in Pakistan.&#x0D; Methodology: This research used a survey and the respondents were medical representative/detailer employees in the pharmaceutical firms in Pakistan. Data was collected from 390 responding out of 650 distributed questionnaires and analyzed by using Smart PLS.&#x0D; Main Findings: The outcomes of this study showed that the interactive performance measurement system has a positive and significant impact on the employees’ psychology in the pharmaceutical industry in Pakistan.&#x0D; Applications of the study: This research showed that the interactive performance measurement system is a tool that can open the communication network between the managers and the employees which must be supported by maximum employees’ psychological empowerment so that can reach the company’s vision and mission, especially for the medical representative/detailer in the pharmaceutical company in Pakistan.&#x0D; Novelty/Originality of the study: This research showed how important psychological empowerment is for lower-middle level employees especially for the medical representative/detailer in order to improve the company’s performance by using the interactive performance measurement system in a pharmaceutical company in Pakistan.